Improvement in brick-machines



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W. A. GRAHAM. BRICK-MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 14, 1875.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. A. GRAHAM. BRICK 4111px: IN E.

Patented. Dec. 14, 1875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

WILLIAM A. GRAHAM, OF GARLISLE, PA., ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM H. PHILIP,

TRUSTEE FOR'HIMSELF AND OTHERS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRICK-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,118, dated December14, 1875; application filed December 4, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be, it known that I, WILLIAM A. GRAHAM, of Oarlisle, in the county ofCumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Brick-Machines, of which the following is aspecification:

On the 17th day of March, A. D. 1868, I took out Letters Patent of theUnited States for an improved brick -inachine, numbered 75,542, whichcontained a mold-wheel and pressure-wheel, both polygonal. Inexperimenting with that machine I have found that the opposition of twoflat faces is objectionable, and that the work of forming the bricks inthe mold will be much better performed where the pressure-wheel iscylindrical on its face.

My first improvement consists in combining with a polygonalmold-wheeh'siich as is described in my said former Letters Patent, acylindrical pressure-wheel, held by the compression of a screw againstthe surface of the mold-wheel by an adjustable pressure applied in theline of the axis of the two wheels, and

having a spring of india-rubber, or equivalent springs, supporting thestrain, so as to afford a yielding resistance, to accommodate itself toa varying strain, so that by the contraction and expansion of thesprings the clay may be uniformly packed into the molds at the point ofcontact of the two wheels-under the hopper. a

I My second improvement consists in combining with the mold and pressurewheels a cylindrical or equivalent inclined cam or bearing, restingagainst an elastic support placed above the point of contact of the twowheels, in such position as to engage the inner ends of the stems of theplungers and force them slightly outward, for the purpose of imparting apressure to the bricks, while being formed, from both sides, first fromthe side of the plunger or bottom of the mold, and then from the side ofthe pressure-wheel or outside of the mold, for the purpose ofcompressing the clay in the mold with a more equal density throughoutits thickness than will be imparted where the compression comes entirelyfrom one side. i

' held against the wheel, or in near proximity to it, by an elasticpressure, its frame being supported by friction-wheels, as set forth inmy said former Letters Patent, an auxiliary knife, having an elasticsupport, for shaving the clay from the solid sides of the mold-wheel, soas to make a clean track on the metal for the friction-wheels.

My fourth improvement consists in attaching an india-ru'bber orequivalent scraper, so as to bear on the surface of the moldwheel afterthe bricks have been delivered, to scrub any adhering clay from the faceof the wheel and plungers, and thus return the molds perfectly clean tothe hopper to be refilled.

My fifth improvement consists in running the pressure-wheel at adifferent speed from that of the mold-wheel, so that the clay may bemore perfectly packed in the mold. This may be accomplished either byallowing the former to run free, or by gearing it to run faster orslower.

Other minor points will be covered and indicated in the followingspecification and claims.

In the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, Figure lis a plan view of the machine, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of them knife audits frame. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveView, showing the device for holding the knife against an india-rubberbearing. Fig. 6 is a section of the stud and wheel which gives the firstcompression to the clay by the outward thrust of the plungers. Fig. 7 isa plan; and Fig. 8 is a section, showing the manner in which the moldsare formed of steel plates.

The same letters are employed in all the figures in the indication ofidentical parts. In the annexed drawings the machine is represented asbeing supported upon a strong frame, A, to which the housing B isbolted. This housing carries the bearings of the pressure-wheel G andmold-wheel D. The screw B passes through the end of the housing, andbears against a plate, 13. The bearing 13 of the pressure-wheel slidesin the housing, and a solid sheet or thin block of'india-rubber, B iscompressed between the plate B and the box B The screws B, actingagainst the ends of the shaft of thepressure-wheel throu-ghthe parts B Band B regulate, at the will of ,the operator, the force of compressionwith ure-wheel runs against the mold-wheel and is round, its tendency isto constantly push against the clay drawn down between the two, andforce it into the mold, and to prevent its escaping between the faces ofthe two wheels. As the spring B is being constantly contracted by thepassage of the points of the polygon, and expanded while the flat facesare passing the point of contact, it is evident that the clay will bepacked into the molds, not by a mere dead pressure, but by an elasticand varying force, resembling in character and effeet the kneadingaction of the human hands.

It will be seen that this is a different action from that of my saidformer machine, where two flat faces were presented, catch ng the claybetween them, and forcing it with the direct action of a plunger intothe molds, and compressing it with a force due to the strain brought onthe wheel by the screw.

In this case I have illustrated adouble moldwheel, containing two setsof molds, side by side, in parallel rows. In other respects theconstruction is the same as that set forth in my said former patent. Eare the plungers in the molds, having stems E projecting radially towardthe center, projected by the stationary cam G, and retracted, beforepassing under the hopper, by the cam F, which, engaging the pins E onthe side of the stems E, draws back the plunger so as to present an openmold to receive the clay from the hopper H. The curvature of the face ofcam F is not such, however, as to draw the plunger, and hold it entirelyat the bottom of the mold until it has passed the wheel I and beenprojected, when it is drawn entirely back and there held. Thisprojection of the plunger is for the purpose of applying a preliminarypressure to the clay in the mold as soon as the approximation of thetwowheels is such that the clay packed in the mold will be held in frontsufficiently firmly to resist the forward thrust. This sudden impactwill condense the clay in the bottom of the mold, and when pressurecomesfrom the wheel on the other side, the alternate compression from eachside will tend to compact the clay in the mold to a uniform density..The cam I rests on a stud, I attached to a plate on the frame.

- The cam may be made to turn on a sleeve, or

form'of a circle, it may be any inclined surface placed to give impactto the clay by projecting the'plunger. It should be supported uponindia-rubber, (shown at P, Fig.6,)so that it may yield to an excess ofpressure without breaking or suddenly checkingthe m old-wheel. The knifeK is a spring-blade resting on the solid rim of the mold-wheel, andintended to shear off adhering clay, so as to give a clear track for thefriction-wheels of the frame of the knife L, which is placed so as justto clear the metal of the wheel D and sever the clay, leaving a smoothsurface to the brick at the outside of the mold. If the edge of theknife bore against the wheel, it would be soon ground away, and need tobe replaced. The frame f bears against blocks of india-rubber; but asall this part of the machine is fully shown in the former patent, itneed not be described herein. M is an improved box for holding therubber block, which sustains the pressure on the knife-frame. It isconstructed with alug, through which passes the indiarubber spring Mwhich is cylindrical or prismatic, and of such length as to pass throughthe lug, and be held in place by a yoke, M which is drawn against it bythe set-screw M so as to confine the spring. By this means the springmay be adjusted to bear against the knife-frame with more or less force,according to the quality of the clay, less pressure being required whenthe clay is very plastic than when it is very tenacious.

When the bricks have been expelled by the action of the cam G on thestem of the plunger, they fall upon an endless belt, N, by which theyare carried away. Another endless belt, R, running in the oppositedirection, is placed under the knives to catch the clay shaved off bytheir action, and carry it off to the temperin g-mill to be mixed withthe other clay. Under the mold-wheel there is attached an indie.- rubberscraper, S. This is a thick sheet of india-rubber fastened between twoplates, by which it is held with its edge scouring the face of theplungers after the, brick has been expelled.

The molds are made in the manner shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The mold-wheelis cast with a recessed face formed by the flanges formed on the sides,as shown in Fig. 8, at D D At one place in the wheel the horizontalflange D is cut away, so as to permit the transverse steel plates 0 tobe inserted into the recess on the face of the mold-wheel, when they maybe moved to their place. Then the end pieces (also of steel) O areinserted and placed under the flange D and the partition-piece O placedin the middle. Then another transverse piece, 0, is inserted and broughtup against the pieces 0 .0 and we have one pair of molds finished. Inthis manner all the molds are successively formed. By this means I amable to make the mold of flat plates of steel, which may be formed on aplaner and separately finished before beinginserted. In single molds,

of course, plate 0 is not used.

The pulley 1? receives motion from the prime mover, and is keyed to thehollow and extended hub of the pinionl, which meshes into the spur-wheelI, on whose shaft is the pinion P This drives the spur-wheel P on acountershaft, which passes through the hub of pinion P and carries apinion, P which meshes into a spur-wheel on the shaft of the mold-wheel.A pinion, P, on the shaft of the wheels P P drives also the spur-wheell? and the belt N, and this wheel P" gives rotation in the oppositedirection to the pinion I and the endless apron R. Q is a bar whichstops the bricks, and, if they should adhere to the face of the plunger,causes them to fall.

The pressure and feed wheelO maybe driven by gearing meshing into thedriver X of the mold-wheel. In machines heretofore made thepressure-wheel, arranged under the hopper, as mine is, has been gearedto run at the same speed as the mold-wheel. I regard this as a mistake.It should be geared to run at a different speed-faster or slower. In themachine illustrated in the drawings I have dispensed with anydriving-gear for the pressure-wheel. As the pressure-wheel will slip onthe face of the mold-wheel it will run slower than the latter, and thusI obtain the same effect I would have by gearing it to run at a slowerspeed. This movement, I find, compacts the brick more perfectly thanwhen I have used wheels geared to run at the same speed.

Running in the bottom of the hopper, the mold and pressure wheel, inrevolving, tend to draw the clay down and compress it into the molds.Thus the wheel 0 is not only a pressure-wheel, but also, to some extent,a feed-wheel; and in my claims, when I use the expression feed andpressure wheel, I wish it to be understood that I mean the wheel (Jrunning in the bottom of the hopper and performing these two functions,and not a mere finishing-wheel running against the face of the mold,outside of the hopper, to finish the bricks that such have been usedwith elastic bearin gs and free-running.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isr 1. In combination with the hopper, the polygonal mold-Wheel D andcylindrical feed and pressure wheel 0, having its adjustable bearingselastically seated, forcing the wheels together in the line of theiraxes, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the mold-wheel and radial plnngers andpressure-wheel O, the cam I, giving an impact to the clay in the bottomof the mold from the center outward, and then completing its compressionby pressure applied in the opposite direction, substantially as setforth.

3. In combination with the mold-wheel and radial plungers, the cam I,resting on an elastic bearing, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the mold-wheel and knife L, supported against thesolid rim of the mold-wheel, substantially as set forth, an auxiliaryknife, K, bearing on the said rim to clean it of clay and give a cleantrack to the frictionwheels of the former.

5. In combination with the mold-wheel,witl1 radial plungers and cam forprojecting the latter, a rubber, S, for scouring the face of the wheeland plungers, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with the hopper, the moldwheel D and feed and pressurewheel 0, adapted to run with different peripheral velocities,substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with the knife L and its frame, the india-rubberspring M adjustably held in positionby the yoke M and set-screws M 8.The molds constructed in the recess on the periphery of the flangedmold-wheel by inserting the steel plates 0 0 substantially in the mannerset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. A. GRAHAM.

Witnesses R. MASON, A. RUBPERT.

